Paper positioning device

Abstract

A paper positioning device having a paper positioning member which is pivotable in abutment against one edge of a paper sheet loaded on a receptacle for moving the paper sheet to a positioning position for thereby positioning the paper sheet. By a simple mechanism and control, the movement of the paper positioning member is slowed down at the positioning position and accelerated until the positioning member reachines it. The paper positioning member performs a pivoting movement twice while a drive shaft associated therewith performs a reciprocating movement once. The device is, therefore, no only durable but also positions paper sheets efficiently and positively without damaging the paper sheets.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A paper positioning apparatus comprising: a receptacle for receiving a paper sheet; and   a paper positioning member pivotable in abutment against an edge of the paper sheet loaded at said receptacle for moving said paper sheet from a position where said paper sheet is laid to a positioning position;   wherein said receptacle comprises:   a paper end receiving member inclined upward toward a downstream side with respect to an intended direction of paper discharge onto said receptacle; and   a stop member for stopping the paper sheet which drops toward an upstream side with respect to said intended direction of paper discharge;   wherein said receptacle has a paper receiving surface which is provided with either one of a recess and a slot through which a pushing portion of said paper positioning member moves for pushing the paper sheet during pivotable movement of said paper positioning member;   wherein said stop member extends upward substantially perpendicularly to said paper receiving surface of said receptacle and said paper positioning means comprises driving means, a crank mechanism, a rotatable shaft, moving means, and position sensing means; and   wherein said driving means comprises a drive shaft for imparting a torque to said crank mechanism;   said crank mechanism comprising:   a connecting member rotatably mounted on said drive shaft; and   a rotatable arm having at one end thereof an engaging portion in which said connecting member is slidably received and being rotatable about a fulcrum which is defined by the other end in response to a rotary motion of said connecting member;   said rotatable shaft rigidly mounting one end of said paper positioning member and being rigidly connected to said fulcrum of said rotatable arm to be rotated by said rotatable arm;   said position sensing means being responsive to sense a plurality of stop positions at which said paper positioning member is selectively stopped and then pivoted, each of said stop positions being associated with respective one of paper sizes; and   said moving means moving said paper positioning member to one of said stop positions which is associated with a size of the paper sheet and, when said position sensing means has sensed one of said stop positions just before said stop position associated with said size of said paper sheet, lowering a moving speed of said paper positioning member.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sensing means for sensing discharge of the paper sheet onto said receptacle; said driving means beginning driving on lapse of a predetermined period of time after said sensing means has sensed discharge of said paper sheet;   said drive shaft of said driving means rotating said paper positioning means in one direction in a pivoting motion and then rotating in the other direction after said paper positioning member has moved beyond a maximum pivotable position.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said paper positioning member comprises an elastic pushing member and an elastic auxiliary pushing member; said auxiliary pushing member being fixed to said paper positioning member slightly above a thickness of a paper stack as measured from said paper receiving surface of said receptacle, said auxiliary pushing member being spaced apart more at an upstream side as seen in an intended direction of paper discharge than at a downstream side and being sequentially inclined from said upstream side toward said paper receiving surface;   said elastic pushing member being affixed to a free end portion of said paper positioning member remote from said rotatable shaft and being rotated by said rotatable shaft at least by an angle between a first and a second position where said elastic pushing member contacts and does not contact respectively the paper sheet loaded on said receptacle, said rotation of said elastic pushing member occurring in a direction for urging said paper sheet against said paper end receiving member and said stop member.   
     
     
       4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein an amount of pivoting movement of said paper positioning member relative to said paper end receiving member is such that a distance between said paper end receiving member and said elastic pushing member is slightly smaller than a width of the paper sheet and is greater than a distance which is 10 millimeters smaller than said width of said paper sheet. 
     
     
       5. A paper positioning device comprising a pivotable paper positioning member which abuts against an edge of a paper sheet loaded on a paper receiving surface of a receptacle for moving said paper sheet from a loaded position to a paper positioning position, said device comprising: driving means comprising a drive shaft for imparting a torque;   a crank mechanism comprising a connecting member driven by said driving means in a rotary motion about said drive shaft, and an arm having at one end an engaging portion in which said connecting member is slidably received and being rotatable about a fulcrum defined at the other end in response to a rotary motion of said connecting member;   a rotatable shaft rigidly connected to said fulcrum and rotatable in response to rotation of said arm, said paper positioning member being mounted on said rotatable shaft; and   control means for controlling said driving means such that said drive shaft is rotated in one direction for causing said paper positioning member to pivot and, after said paper positioning member has passed a maximum pivoting position, rotated in the other direction;   said paper positioning member being moved at a lower speed when moved the paper sheet to said paper positioning position than when moving said paper sheet toward said paper positioning position.   
     
     
       6. In a paper positioning device comprising a pivotable paper positioning member which abuts against an edge of a paper sheet loaded on a paper receiving surface of a receptacle for moving said paper sheet from a loaded position to a paper positioning position, the improvement comprising means for moving said paper position member at a lower speed when moving the paper sheet to said paper positioning position than when moving said paper sheet toward said paper positioning position. 
     
     
       7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said paper positioning member is caused to pivot by a rotary shaft which is rotated by a crank mechanism. 
     
     
       8. A paper positioning device comprising a pivotable paper positioning member which abuts against an edge of a paper sheet loaded on a receptacle for positioning said paper sheet, said device comprising: driving means comprising a drive shaft for imparting a torque;   a connecting member driven by said driving means in a rotary motion about said drive shaft;   an arm having at one end an engaging portion in which said connecting member is slidably received and being rotatable about a fulcrum defined at the other end in response to a rotary motion of said connection member;   a rotatable shaft rigidly connected to said fulcrum and rotatable in response to rotation of said arm, said paper positioning member being mounted on said rotatable shaft and pivotable into abutment against the edge of the paper sheet; and   control means for controlling said driving means such that said drive shaft is rotated in one direction by more than 180° for causing said paper positioning member to pivot past a maximum pivoting position and, after said paper positioning member has passed the maximum pivoting position, rotated in the other direction so that said paper positioning member is caused to pivot twice.   
     
     
       9. A paper positioning device comprising: a receptacle for selectively receiving paper sheets of a plurality of sizes;   a paper positioning member pivotable in abutment against an edge of the paper sheets while being held at any one of a plurality of predetermined stop positions each being associated with respective one of the plurality of sizes of the paper sheets;   moving means for moving said paper positioning member to any one of said stop positions depending on the size of a selected paper sheet;   sensing means for sensing a position of said paper positioning member; and   control means for stopping a movement of said paper positioning member when said position sensing means senses that said paper positioning member has reached one of said stop positions associated with the size of the paper sheets discharged;   wherein said control means lowers a moving speed of said paper positioning member when said position sensing means senses that said paper positioning member has reached one of the stop positions which is just before the stop position associated with the size of the paper sheets.